Energy Management System - EMS

An energy management system (EMS) is a computer-aided system used to monitor and control energy flows within a building. It is a subset of the Building Management System (BMS) which may also control lighting, safety and security within a building.

The ICAX Skid incorporates the ICAX controls philosophy within its energy management system. The proprietary controls are an integral part of the ICAX Skid. The energy management system manages the energy flows to and from the ThermalBank, the solar collector and the building using its own Energy Management System ("EMS") instead of expecting detailed instructions from the Building Management System ("BMS").

Heat Control, Heat Balance, Heat Recycling

The job of the EMS is central to providing Interseasonal Heat Transfer and employs sophisticated controls where there is more than one source of heat (these can include solar collectors, heat from within a building in summer, heat from the ground in winter or heat from the air in the spring) and more than one destination (heat may be required for domestic hot water all year round, space heating in winter, swimming pools or will be directed toward the Thermal Bank where surplus heat arises in summer). The EMS ensures an overall balance of heat energy over the seasons and may even involve extracting heat from rooms attracting solar gain from south facing rooms and transferring it simultaneously to north facing rooms which require heating.

The EMS saves energy by recycling heat from where (or when) it is in surplus to where (or when) it is required.

The ICAX control philosophy has been refined and tested in real projects and relieves the building's BMS from managing these functions. The ICAX Skid therefore responds to calls for heating or cooling from the BMS.

This approach avoids the risk of misunderstandings between the BMS controls regime and the capabilities of the IHT system. This is a key asset for quality control, particularly on fast track projects.

The ICAX Skid controls Interseasonal Heat Transfer™

An ICAX Skid is a platform with packaged plant which is delivered as a pre-assembled and tested unit incorporating the control mechanisms for Interseasonal Heat Transfer.

It includes a heat pump, valves and hydraulic equipment regulated by the ICAX EMS Black Box electronic controller together with connections for feeder pipes to and from the Asphalt Solar Collector, ThermalBanks and the heat delivery system to be used within your building.

ICAX Skid controls temperatures in Merton's Acacia Intergenerational Centre

Your heat delivery options within the building include underfloor heating, WR2 heat transfer units, air handling units and TermoDeck.

Heat Recovery

The ICAX Skid can use heat recovery to balance heating and cooling demands within a building, and stores any "waste heat" (from IT rooms or air conditioning equipment) in ThermalBanks for space heating in winter.

The ICAX Skid is key to an integrated heating and cooling system that saves emissions by storing "waste heat" in summer for use in winter, and stores "coolth" from winter for use in summer to provide Natural Cooling without incurring the annual cost of air conditioning, or the capital cost of installing air conditioning equipment.

Renewable Energy On Site

ICAX saves money by balancing your thermal needs over the four seasons and delivering Renewable Heat in winter and Renewable Cooling in summer. ICAX recycles heat from summer to winter.

Modular Assembly Off Site

The ICAX Skid is manufactured and assembled off site. This allows efficient assembly and rigorous quality control. This approach saves time and allows ICAX to supply fast track build projects such as the Greenfield Superstore for Tesco. The Skid includes the controls and hydraulics required to manage and optimise the energy from the solar array, whether for DHW pre-heat or storage for space heating. It includes meters which allow the RHI to be claimed on the GSHP and DHW elements, and remote linkage for performance monitoring and system optimisation.

A good EMS should give you a Soft Landing

A well designed Energy Management Control System should give you a Soft Landing. To ensure this is achieved you should enter a maintenance contract so that ICAX can monitor the ground source system remotely and ensure that it is performing as designed. If the way the building is used differs from that originally envisaged then the system can be fine tuned to address the changes that arise.

 

Projects using ICAX Skid: Merton IGC | Suffolk One | Greenfield Store | Wellington Town Swimming Pool

See also: Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage

See also: Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems